Angelo & John | Tuesday Morning

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'We have normality. I repeat, we have normality.' -Douglas Adams-

"Cigarettes reduce stress," John announced as he stepped outside, holding a box containing five packs of Lucky Strikes, a plastic bag filled with lots of green -gee, what's that doing there?- and his trusty Zippo. For once it wasn't in his pocket. "We need stress relief. I say you're stressed, I'm stressed, it's the new year, we should smoke."

"Cigarettes reduce lung capacity, too", Angelo retorted, sprawled out on the bench with his cane in his hand. "But what the hell. I'll go back to givin' up after this - John, that's not tobacco."

"Fuck, I had no idea that it's not." He placed the box on the floor and opened up a new pack for Angelo. "Here you go, buddy. Have a smoke. Enjoy it. It's a new year." He smirked. "Nice cane."

"Just makin' sure", Angelo said with a smirk in return. "Less than a week an' I get rid of it. Thank God." He reached over and plucked one out of the pack. "Thanks."

"I would've visited you at the hospital, but the place stinks and I can't stand doctors." John lighted a cigarette for himself before he proceeded to light Angelo's. "I realize something. You always get me into trouble with your girlfriend. You know she's going to complain about this, right?"

"Terry got you in trouble last time", he protested. "I wouldn't've given her your name. But... yeah, she is. She's been tryin' not to smoke around me... but hell, it's only once. Helpin' out a friend, even."

John shook his head, blew the smoke out and took another drag. "Terry reminds me of that chick on Ally McBeal. What's her name? That loud mouth secretary? The blonde?"

"How the fuck would I know? Like I watch Ally McBeal."

"What's wrong with Ally McBeal? She's skinny, she's fucked up, and she's funny. Her life's worse than a Mexican soap opera. It's what makes it an interesting watch," John said.

"Oh, wait. I think I remember now. It's Elaine." He slapped a hand against his forehead. "Yeah, Elaine. That's her name. She knows everything."

"It's a chick show." Angelo took another long luxuriant drag on his cigarette. "Telenovelas are funnier. An' I've seen the ads - Calista whatever's too skinny."

"Really? It's a chick show? I wouldn't have noticed," John said with a roll of his eyes. "I watch everything, man. It's called being educated. 'course other people call it being a couch potato, but they just don't know any better."

John was a TV addict. "Hey, stretch your arms out and grab us a few beers, will you?"

"Ally McBeal so doesn't count as educated. An' I can't stretch all the way to the kitchen. Got any in that box of yours?"

"You can't? Gee, man, you suck. Do you know that the average surface of the human intestine is six hundred and fifty six square feet? That's two hundred meters. I bet you could do it if you tried. I made you glide, didn't I?"

"I don't stretch my intestines. Skin, remember? An' the burn scars get in the way." He flicked his finger skin idly at John's face. "Go get the beers yourself."

"I was just trying to make a point. I bet your skin's far more stretchable than you think it is," John said as he got up. "Be right back, you useless bum."

He flicked the lid of his lighter open and close, open and close as he walked into the kitchen. It was a habit he wasn't going to bother to get rid of. John had stashed a couple of beers in the fridge late last night. It should still be there unless Logan got to it. Damn that old man.

"Ah. There you are." John grabbed the bottles and headed back outside.

"I can't wait for summer. I hate this friggin' weather."

"Hell yeah", Angelo agreed fervently, stealing a bottle out of John's hand. "Winter's when I miss Cali most. Don't think I'll ever get used to this cold, not all the way."

"We should go on a road trip someday. Or well, I should. You already went on one with Amanda, right?"

"Yeah, I did. An' Doug an' Angie for part of it. But hey, my car was made for road trips. I'd be up for it someday."

John grinned. "Now you know we'll have to go."

"Not complainin' about that. Next vacation, yeah? We'll go find us some trouble."

He nodded. "The good kind. The kind that revolves around situations that are fun and not stressful," he said, emphasizing the point with another nod of his head. "Because we can do without stress, remember? So here. Have another cigarette."

"Spring break, then, you're on." Angelo grinned and accepted the offered pack.

"Now all we gotta do is figure out where we want to go. I say Panama, and you say...?"

"I'm intrigued by your ideas an' want to subscribe to your newsletter" was the prompt response. "Never been there."

John raised his eyebrows slightly. "Good enough of a reason then." He lifted his bottle up. "Panama's on the list."

"Tijuana?" Angelo suggested. "Kind of traditional for Spring Break."

"We can definitely do Tijuana." He'd only been there once. "What about visiting Texas on our way back? And Florida?"

"Yeah, count those in. If you let me stop in at the Annex on the way through Florida an' you promise not to burn down anythin' that matters in Texas." This was punctuated with a swallow from his beer.

"Hey, you're the one with the ride." He wasn't about to promise that he'd behave. "How long do you think it'll take us?"

"Long as we want it to, I figure", Angelo said with a shrug. "Two or three weeks at least."

"We deserve a break. Think Nathan will want to kill us for deciding to take it together?"

"Nah. He's let me do it before, an' it's not like he won't have help. Between Rahne an' Juliette an' Medusa, he'll be all set. Even more if Monet decides t'work there too."

"Monet?" John chuckled. "That's great. She'll love the mess we've created in the office."

"It's not mess", Angelo said easily. "Juliette would never put up with mess. It's a system."

John snorted. "Right. A system. You should see what's under my desk." A whole load of trash. Every single take out he'd ever eaten in the past week or maybe even month.

"...Medusa's not allowed to look under your desk. Ever. Or Monet."

"Yup." John let out mischievous smile at that. "Not ever."